Being an auteur is easy these days. Digital technology quickens and makes less expensive production and distribution. So when a first film is the product of a single sensibility that is writer, director, cinematographer, and editor, we have to consider the distinctiveness of what they choose to put in front of us.
In One Night in Tokyo, Joshua Woodcock's first feature, Sam, a 30-something American, has just arrived in Tokyo. It's Sam's first time in Japan, and he's set for a week with his equally American GF Becca, whose job has taken her there. They've been separated for six months. But something's off: Becca isn't there at the airport to meet him. When he arrives at her apartment, she seems distracted, pleads prior commitments, and gives him the key to a hotel room. Hmmm. Sam's Japanese friend Jun is indisposed as well. He suggests Sam join his girlfriend Ayaka for beers with her friends. The evening is awkward; Sam doesn't know Ayaka or the language (one of the best scenes is Sam trying to make small talk, his new acquaintances explaining references). When the friends disperse, Sam is left alone with Ayaka, who is indifferent.
An event bonds them, and Sam resolves to return home on the morning flight. The pair spends time in funky bars and neon streets, and they warm to each other. They compare favorite films (spoiler alert: his is Chaplin's City Lights; hers is Ozu's Tokyo Story). Confidences are shared and affection blooms.
Notice I don't say "love." One Night in Tokyo is not exactly a romcom. It has a conspicuous lack of passion. Its stakes are pretty low, which is surprising for a first film over which the maker has full creative control. The film looks professional; it’s not a knockoff. Joshua Woodcock writes and directs confidently, coming from advertising and shorts. He's the cinematographer and editor, too. Mr. Woodcock is based in Tokyo, as are his cast and crew.
But while One Night in Tokyo is endearing in the moment, it adds up to a shrug. Its characters are attractive but bland and pretty ordinary. The dearth of passion appears intentional, despite a bossy score by Topher Horn, which is designed to guide our emotions and provide whimsey that is not on the screen.
Mr. Woodcock's scenario has neither the clever dialogue of Linklater's "Before" series, or the quirkiness of Coppola's Lost in Translation. The cast works and is appealing. Reza Emamiyeh plays Sam as a likeable hangdog. Tokiko Kitagawa has an endearing smile and plays Ayaka with quiet skill: her conversion from impassivity to interest is convincing. The cast also includes Cailee Oliver as Becca and Shinichiro Watanabe as Jun.
One Night in Tokyo is an enjoyable enough Fish-Out-of-Water cum Opposites-Attract picture. But it’s pretty thin and not very unique. Even the streets of Tokyo seem ordinary: only a few distinctive locations are visited and not much is made of Sam being a stranger in a strange land. Mr. Woodcock serves up cautious helpings of emotion.
As in most contemporary films, the phone is a character. Time that could be spent considering each other is spent checking the screen. The language barrier is breached by a verbal translation app. After they use that, Sam and Ayaka speak fluently to each other.
Doesn't anybody just stare into each other's eyes anymore? In a movie like One Night in Tokyo, bells don't have to ring, but they could at least vibrate.
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One Night in Tokyo. Directed by Joshua Woodcock. 2024. From Buffalo 8. Runtime 95 minutes.